At the 1st meeting of the Independent Fiscal Commission for Northern Ireland, Commission members heard evidence from Mairi Spowage, Interim Director & Principal Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute of Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow. Previously, Mairi Spowage was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Head of National Accounts at the Scottish Government.
Members heard evidence from the experience of similar Fiscal Commissions established in Scotland and Wales and discussed a number of the lessons which could usefully inform their future work in a Northern Ireland context.
Members also received a presentation from Aidan McMahon, Chief of Staff of the Fiscal Commission NI Secretariat, giving an overview of key information on the Northern Ireland economy, covering the size and structure of the economy, key economic indicators, economic forecasts, key aspects of public spending and tax receipts for Northern Ireland.